Sump pump



I y 1966 A. D. GOETTL ETAL 3,250,214

SUMP PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001.. 25, 1963 R m.. Nn WE m D. M v A ALBERT B. GOETTL W/ SK y 12, 1966 A. D. GOETTL ETAL 3,260,214

SUMP PUMP Filed Oct. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,260,214 SUMP PUMP Adam D. Goettl and Albert B. Goettl, Phoenix, Ariz., assignors to McGraw-Edison Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 319,023 3 Claims. (Cl. 103-87) This invention relates to a sump pump, and, more particularly, to a sump pump adapted for use in pumping water from the sump of an evaporative cooler, and which is disposed to rest upon the bottom of an evaporative cooler sump and pump water directly therefrom.

Sump pumps used in evaporative coolers are exposed to a great variety of environmental conditions which tend to create hazards to the functioning and durability of such pumps.

One condition arises over a period of time due to the mineral content of water which becomes encrusted upon various parts of a pump, including the motor thereof. Mineral crusts which form on sump pump assemblies generally covers all of the parts and portions thereof, including the means generally employed to connect the pump housing with an operating motor housing, and such crust conditions generally cause difliculty in servicing or disassembly of such pump structures for overhaul or repair. Additionally, many such sump pumps normally subject to corrosion also must work directly in the sump water of an evaporative cooler or the like, and are subjected to an environment wherein various foreign matter is present in the Water, namely pieces of wood fibers or other similar material normally used in the pads of evaporative. coolers.

Additionally, su-ch sump pumps are required to operate ,in very close proximity to the bottom of an evaporative cooler sump due to the varying head of water in the sump during the normal starting and continuous operational functions of an evaporative cooler.

Further, it has been a problem to provide a suitable .pump structure wherein a foreign matter filter and impeller housing cover may be coupled to an impeller housing and immersed in an evaporative cooler sump without causing problems relative to the disassembly of the parts after corrosive effects have taken place over a period of pump operation.

I Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel sump pump having a very simple and reliable means of connecting and disconnecting a plastic pump housing with a conventional motor housing so that collection of mineral crust during the operation of the pump does not create undue problems with respect to subsequent disassembly of the pump housing and the pump 'disposed below an impeller in the cavity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel cast impeller housing for sump pumps having an impeller cavity surrounded by three wall structures forming two surrounding spaces outwardly of the cavity and disposed to contain an upturned surrounding flange of a cavity cover, and disposed to retain outwardly thereof a filter .element which surrounds the cover and extends downwardly into engagement with the bottom of a sump to provide for filtering of liquid drawn into the inlet of the pump through a central opening in the cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel rotatable coupling means in combination with a motor housing and a sump pump housing, and a novel screw threaded connection of an impeller with the motor shaft and disposed in the pump housing whereby very simple assembly and disassembly of the entire pump mechanism may be effected as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sump pump particularly adapted for use in evaporative coolers and which requires a minimum of expense in the production and assembly thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel sump pump which is very simple and economical to produce and maintain.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an explodedview of a sump pump in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial vertical axial sectional view of a sump pump in accordance with the present invention shown resting on a surface in the bottom of a liquid containing sump;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged bottom view of the sump pump of the invention showing portions thereof broken away and in section to amplify the illustration; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view disclosing a pump outlet structure of the invention which is provided with a pair of different diameter annular ribs disposed readily to be engaged by outlet conduits of various diameters.

As shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the sump pump of the invention is provided with a motor housing 10 having a rotor 12 rotatably mounted therein, fixed to the rotor 12 is a downwardly extending shaft 14 which is journaled in the housing 10 in the conventional manner. Secured to the shaft 14 below the rotor 12 is a motor cooling fan 16. This fan 16 carried by the shaft ,14 is disposed adjacent to openings 18 in the housing 10 which communicate directly with the outside atmosphere, as will be hereinafter described.

, The motor housing 10 is composed of a lower sheet metal cup section 20 and an enlarged inverted cupshaped sheet metal cap 22.

The lower sheet metal cup section 20 of the housing 10 is provided with a plurality of downwardly and inwardly extending rotary lock portions 24, which are tabs struck out and formed from opening portions 26 in the bottom of the cup-shaped portion 20 of the housing 10. These rotary lock tabs 24 are generally L-shaped and are disposed to engage ledge portions 28 of an upwardly eX- tending cylindrical neck 30 of a pump housing 32, all as will be hereinafter described in detail.

Each ledge portion 28, as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, terminates in a poriton 34 tangent to the periphery 36 of the neck 30 of the pump housing 32. Thus, each portion 34 is flush with the periphery 36 and is disposed in accordance with a broken line 38, as shown in FIGURE 2, when rotated relative to an inwardly directed edge 40 of the L-shaped tab 24 forming a component of the rotary lock which, according to the present invention, provides a connection facility for holding the pump houseing 32 securely in connection with the motor housing 10.

Adjacent each ledge portion 28 is a stop ledge 42 disposed to provide for a stop abutment to engage each respective tab 24 when the ledges 28 are rotated into engagement with the L-shaped tabs 24.

Each tab 24 at its edge 40 is initially engaged with the portion 34 adjacent each respective ledge 28. Thus the edges 40 of the tabs 24 may be slid over the end of the neck 30 and then the neck 30 may be rotated relative the tabs 24 so that the L-shaped portions of the tabs 24 fit under the ledges 28 and are engaged by the stops 42, thus securely locking the pump housing 32 to the motor housing 10.

It will be understood that the ledges 28 are slightly helically disposed downwardly toward the stops 42 so that they increase the tightening engagement of each ledge 28 with the L-shaped crypt 24 as rotation progresses to a point where the stops 42 engage the tabs 24.

In this position, a lower screw threaded end 44 of the shaft 114 is extended into an impeller cavity 46 in the pump housing 32 and an impeller 48 provided with an internally screw threaded bore 50 is screw threadably connected with the externally screw threaded portion 44 of the shaft 14. These threads are so arranged that torque reaction of the impeller 14 against liquid in the cavity 46 tends to tighten the impeller 48 on the shaft 14 when it is motivated by the rotor 12 of the electric motor in the housing 10.

The cavity 46 is provided with a tangential passage outlet 52 communicating with a vertical outlet bore 56 which extends upwardly through an oulet 58 which is a hollow tubular structure integral with the housing 32.

This hollow tubular outlet 58 extends substantially vertically, and is provided with a small diameter annular rib 60 and a large diameter annular rib 62 which are adapted to engage the internal bore portions of small and large tubular conduits 64 and 66, respectively, which are normally frictionally held to the outer side of the outlet 58 by a clamp spring 68.

Surrounding the cavity 46 is a pair of wall structures '78 and 72. These wall structures 70 and 72 are provided with a space therebetween wherein a flange 74 of an impeller cavity enclosure plate 76 is disposed. This impeller cavity enclosure plate is provided with the upstanding flange 74 which, as shown in FIGURE 3, extends upward-ly a considerable distance between the wall structures 70 and 72, surrounding the impeller cavity 46. A screw 78 extends through the cover and is screw threaded into a bore 80 in the housing 32.

Surrounding the pair of wall structures '78 and 72 and spaced outwardly therefrom is a wall structure 82 which engages and surrounds a filter element 84, which is disposed between the wall 82 and the outermost wall 70 of the pair of walls 70 and 72. This filter element 84 is provided with a lower surface 86 engageable with a bottom surface 88 of a sump containing liquid 90 which communicates with and surrounds the pump housing 32. Therefore, it will be seen that the pump housing 32 and the filter element 84 are submerged in the liquid under normal operating conditions. Thus, the impeller 48 and impeller cavity 46 are also submerged.

The bottom portion of the impeller cavity cover is provided with an opening 91 which communicates directly with the center of the impeller 48 and below the same to provide an inlet for water which passes inwardly through the filtering element 84 in surrounding relationship with the opening 90.

The impeller 48 is provided with a conventional impeller blading, and the shaft 14 extends through an enlarged opening 92 in the upper portion of the impeller housing 32 and communicates with the interior of an elongated hollow cylindrical neck portion 94 of the pump housing 32 which supports the motor a considerable distance above the sump water 90.

Openings 96 in the side wall of the hollow cylindrical neck 94 communicate with the interior of the hollow cylindrical neck 94 above the opening 92 and permit fluid to communicate directly therewith.

The impeller 48 is disposed directly below the opening 92 and the opening 92 is subtantially larger than the diameter of the shaft 14, and for purposes of economy and simplicity, and also maintenance, no seal is provided around the shaft in the opening 92. Further, sump water may pass through the openings 96 and into the openin 92, communicating directly with the upper side of the impeller 48. Since the simple construction involves the enlarged opening 92 and the relatively smaller shaft 14, and inasmuch as there is no seal around the shaft at the openings 92, centrifugal force of fluid caused by operation of the impeller 48 tends to flow upwardly through the opening 92 and around the shaft 14 during certain operational conditions when the head of fluid is low above the impeller, and during other back pressure conditions occasioned by various operational conditions of an evaporative cooler. And, inasmuch as there is no seal in the opening 92, it has been found that impeller blades 49 of very limited capacity disposed on the upper side of the impeller 48 tend to operate close to the opening 92 and prevent upward flow from the impeller 48 through the opening 92. The blades 49, being of limited pumping capacity, tend to balance centrifugal fluid pressure at the periphery of the impeller, while substantially larger blades 51 on the lower part of the impeller extend from the center thereof and provide for the principal pumping capacity of the impeller 48. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the very simple construction of the pump housing employing the enlarged opening 92 operating without a seal around the shaft 14 comprises small or limited capacity veins 49 on the upper side of the impeller 48 and substantial pump-ing veins 511 on the lower side of the impeller. Pumping means 51 on the lower side of the impeller serve to dispel fluid through the outlet of the housing 52, and create substantial centrifugal force of fluid therein. This centrifugal force at the periphery of the impeller, while tending to flow backwardly at the upper side of the impeller toward the opening 92, is prevented from thus flowing by the short and nominal capacity blades 49 hereinbefore described.

As shown best in FIGURES l and 4 of the drawings, the pump housing is provided with downwardly directed legs 98, which are integral with the housing and disposed outwardly of the filtering element 84. These legs 98 are provided with lower ends 100 which are adapted to rest on the surface 88 of the sump in correspondence and substantially in the same plane of the lower surface 86 of the filtering element 84. Thus the pump is supported on the legs 98 and the legs prevent crushing of the filtering element 84.

In assembling the sump pump of the invention, the pump housing 32 is rotatably connected to the motor housing portion 20, as hereinbefore described. The impeller 48 is screw threaded on the shaft 44, and may be tightened if desired by engaging a fan blade of the motor through one of the openings 18. Thus the motor shaft 14 is held and the impeller 48 may be tightened thereon.

The total assembly as shown in FIGURE 3 is operated by operation of the motor 10 to rotate the shaft 14 and the impeller 48. This impeller centrifugally dispels water through the outlet 52 and bore 56 to the conduit 64.

During the operation of the sump pump of the invention, and when said sump pumps are operated in connection with evaporative coolers, the plastic pump housing 32 in connection with the motor housing portion 20 provides a very simple structure to maintain, particularly with respect to encrustment of minerals on the total assembly, which is not disposed to create substantial difiiculties in disassembly of the structure. A rotatable connection between the pump housing 32 and the motor housing portion 20 readily permits the assembly to be disconnected, and the impeller 48 may readily be screw threadably disconnected from the shaft 14 by holding the shaft as hereinbefore described by inserting a screw driver or other instrument through one of the openings 18 to hold the fan and the shaft 14. The impeller, being made of plastic, will readily unscrew from the portion 44 of the shaft 14, and the entire assembly may be disassembled. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the upstanding flange 74 of the impeller cavity cover 76 is readily and easily removed from the space between the wall structures 70 and 72 after the screw 78 has been removed from the internally screw threaded bore 80 in the plastic pump housing 32.

Inasmuch as the plastic housing is not subject to corrosion, all of the fixtures in connection therewith do not become corrosively stuck thereto.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the invention may be restored to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a sump pump the combination of: a motor housing; a rotor rotatably mounted therein; a motor shaft extending axially downward from said motor and said housing; a pump housing coupled to said motor housing and extending downward therefrom and substantially surrounding said shaft; a liquid impeller connected to said shaft; said pump housing having a centrifugal impeller cavity open axially toward the normally lower end thereof and containing said impeller therein; a pair of spaced wall structures of said pump housing surrounding said impeller cavity; an impeller cavity enclosure plate having an upwardly directed flange surrounding said cavity and extending upwardly between said spaced wall structures, said plate having a liquid inlet opening disposed below said impeller; a third Wall structure spaced from and surrounding the outermost of said pair of spaced wall structures; a bottom portion of said pump housing open between said outermost wall of said pair and said third wall structure; a lower edge portion of said third wall structure directed downwardly; and a filter element disposed between said third wall structure and said outermost of said pair of wall structures, a lower portion of said filter element normally disposed nearly on a plane with said lower edge portion of said third wall structure; said filter element surrounding said plate and extending below said plate in a direction parallel to the axis of said impeller; a lower portion of said filter disposed to bear on a bottom portion of a liquid containing sump.

2. In a sump pump the combination of: a motor housing; a rotor rotatably mounted therein; a motor shaft extending axially downward from said motor and said housing; a pump housing coupled to said motor housing and extending downward therefrom and substantially surrounding said shaft; a liquid impeller connected to said shaft; said pump housing having a centrifugal impeller cavity open axially toward the normally lower end thereof and containing said impeller therein; a pair of spaced wall structures of said pump housing surrounding said impeller cavity; an impeller cavity enclosure plate having an upwardly directed flange surrounding said cavity and extending upwardly between said spaced wall structures, said plate having a liquid inlet opening disposed below said impeller; a third wall structure spaced from and surrounding the outermost of said pair of spaced wall structures; a bottom portion of said pump housing open between said outermost wall of said pair and said third wall structure; a lower edge portion of said third wall structure directed downwardly; and a filter element disposed between said third wall structure and said outermost of said pair of wall structures, a lower portion of said filter element normally disposed nearly on a plane with said lower edge portion of said third wall structure; said filter element surrounding said plate and extending below said plate in a direction parallel to the axis of said impeller; a lower portion of said filter disposed to bear on a bottom portion of a liquid containing sump; legs of said sump housing extending downwardly and having lower ends terminating substantially on a plane with said lower portion of said filter element when engaged with the bottom of a sump.

3. In a sump pump the combination of: a motor housing; a rotor rotatably mounted therein; a motor shaft extending axially downward from said motor and said housing; a pump housing coupled to said motor housing and extending downward therefrom and substantially surrounding said shaft; a liquid impeller connected to said shaft; said pump housing having a centrifugal impeller cavity open axially toward the normally lower end thereof and containing said impeller therein; a pair of spaced wall structures of said pump housing surrounding said impeller cavity; an impeller cavity enclosure plate having an upwardly directed flange surrounding said cavity and extending upwardly between said spaced wall structures, said plate having a liquid inlet opening disposed below said impeller; a third wall structure spaced from and surrounding the outermost of said pair of spaced wall structures; a bottom portion of said pump housing open between said outermost wall of said pair and said third wall structure; a lower edge portion of said third wall structure directed downwardly; and a filter element disposed between said third wall structure and said outermost of said pair of wall structures, a lower portion of said filter element normally disposed nearly on a plane with said lower edge portion of said third wall structure; said filter element surrounding said plate and extending below said plate in a direction parallel to the axis of said impeller; a lower portion of said filter disposed to bear on a bottom portion of a liquid containing sump; said pump housing having an elongated hollow cylindrical neck portion integral therewith and extending upwardly a considerable distance in surrounding relation with said shaft above said impeller cavity whereby said motor housing is rigidly supported on said pump housing a considerable distance above sump water in which said filter element and said inlet may be disposed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,543,633 2/1951 Lamphere 103-104 2,661,146 12/1953 Hill et a1 103-87 2,743,673 5/1956 Kaatz et al 103-103 2,764,099 9/1956 Werner-t 103-103 2,766,696 10/1956 Lung 103-103 2,808,782 10/1957 Thompson et a1. 103-104 X 2,835,203 5/1958 Cliborn 103-103 2,862,452 12/1958 Lung 103-87 2,890,660 6/1959 Umbricht 103-103 2,921,533 1/1960 Williams 103-103 2,952,213 9/1960 Goettl 103-103 2,963,978 12/ 1960 Namur 103-103 3,046,900 7/ 1962 Pollak 103-103 FOREIGN PATENTS 283,292 4/ 1915 Germany.

ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

LAUR-ENCE V. EFNER, DONLEY J. STOCKING,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A SUMP PUMP THE COMBINATION OF: A MOTOR HOUSING; A ROTOR ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREIN; A MOTOR SHAFT EXTENDING AXIALLY DOWNWARD FROM SAID MOTOR AND SAID HOUSING; A PUMP HOUSING COUPLED TO SAID MOTOR HOUSING AND EXTENDING DOWNWARD THEREFROM AND SUBSTANTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT; A LIQUID IMPELLER CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT; SAID PUMP HOUSING HAVING A CENTRIFUGAL IMPELLER CAVITY OPEN AXIALLY TOWARD THE NORMALLY LOWER END THEREOF AND CONTAINING SAID IMPELLER THEREIN; A PAIR OF SPACED WALL STRUCTURES OF SAID PUMP HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID IMPELLER CAVITY; AN IMPELLER CAVITY ENCLOSURE PLATE HAVING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE SURROUNDING SAID CAVITY AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY BETWEEN SAID SPACED WALL STRUCTURES, SAID PLATE HAVING A LIQUID INLET OPENING DISPOSED BELOW SAID IMPELLER; A THIRD WALL STRUCTURE SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDING THE OUTERMOST OF SAID PAIR OF SPACED WALL STRUCTURES; A BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID PUMP HOUSING OPEN BETWEEN SAID OUTERMOST WALL OF SAID PUMP AND SAID THIRD WALL STRUCTURE; A LOWER EDGE PORTION OF SAID THIRD WALL STRUCTURE DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY; AND A FILTER ELEMENT DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID THIRD WALL STRUCTURE AND SAID OUTERMOST OF SAID PAIR OF WALL STRUCTURES, A LOWER PORTION OF SAID FILTER ELEMENT NORMALLY DISPOSED NEARLY ON A PLANE WITH SAID LOWER EDGE PORTION OF SAID THIRD WALL STRUCTURE; SAID FILTER ELEMENT SURROUNDING SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING BELOW SAID PLATE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID IMPELLER; A LOWER PORTION OF SAID FILTER DISPOSED TO BEAR ON A BOTTOM PORTION OF A LIQUID CONTAINING SUMP. 